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Though
we have discovered these planets, that does not mean that
life is possible. For life to exist on Earth, we
have been placed in a 'Temperate' zone; where as, life is
able to exist here because of our placement in the
solar-system. If we (the Earth) were placed further out-
for example, the outer planets- we might have a much
colder climate, or not have existed at all; and if we
were placed closer to the Sun, for example Venus or
Mercury, our climate would be much too hot for life as we
know it to survive. While these conditions must be present for life to exist, consider the possibilities in a galaxy with billions and billions of Sun-like stars. "The best current estimates of the number and spacing of Earth-mass planets in newly forming planetary systems (as George Wetherill reported at the first international conference on circumstellar habitable zones [Doyale, 1995] combined with the best current estimates of long term stability of oceans on a variety of planets (as James Kasting at the same meeting [Doyale, 1995] suggest one or two blue worlds around every Sun-like star" (Sagan, Abundance 1). At the very least, modern astronomy and physics will determine the probability of life bearing planets in our galaxy- most likely, in the next millennium. What is the outlook for modern astronomy and new discoveries? As of now, science seems to be on the verge of discovering even more possible life-sustaining planets- with greater accuracy.... |
